How to Draw a Praying Mantis

Please PAUSE the "How to Draw a Praying Mantis" video after each step to draw at your own pace.

For the first few steps, don't press down too hard with your pencil. Use light, smooth strokes to begin.

Step 1: Draw an ellipse as a guide for the praying mantis' lower body or abdomen. First draw two small curved lines far from each other, then connect them with two long lines. The ellipse should have a diagonal orientation, as the mantis will be standing.

Step 2: Draw a triangle on the upper right side of the abdomen as a guide for the praying mantis' head. Make the corners of the triangle rounder. Don't place the head too high up, otherwise your mantis will end up too long.

Step 3: Draw two parallel lines that connect the praying mantis' head to the body as a guide for the middle part of the body or the thorax.

Step 4: Draw a line under the thorax as a guide for the praying mantis' bent front legs. First draw a V-shaped line. Then add a curved line to the right of it.

Step 5: Draw two more lines under the praying mantis' body as guides for the other legs. Bend the lines to indicate where the joints will be. The leg on the left will be bigger, so draw that line longer. The end result of both legs combined should be similar to a spread-out letter M.